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. 1974 Feb;9(2):394–399. doi: 10.1128/iai.9.2.394-399.1974

Thymus-Dependent Lymphocytes of Peripheral Blood in Leprosy Patients

Soo-Duk Lim 1,2,3,1, David F Kiszkiss 1,2,3, Robert R Jacobson 1,2,3, Yong Sung Choi 1,2,3, Robert A Good 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC414815  PMID: 4544619

Abstract

Study of the numbers of thymus-derived lymphocytes by the rosette assay (T-RFC) in patients with leprosy reveals that lower than normal numbers of T-RFC are regularly seen in those patients with the active lepromatous form of this disease. Essentially normal numbers of T-RFC were found in inactive lepromatous, borderline, and indeterminate types of leprosy. The lowest percentages and lowest absolute numbers of T-RFC were encountered in patients with lepromatous leprosy resistant to chemotherapy. Patients with lepromatous leprosy complicated by erythema nodosum leprosum show numbers of T-RFC that are more nearly normal than the numbers of T-RFC in patients with uncomplicated lepromatous leprosy. These findings are discussed with respect to the pathogenesis of lepromatous leprosy and the T-RFC deficiency demonstrated in this disease. The possibility that transient defects in T-RFC numbers or function may predispose to lepromatous leprosy is proposed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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